Joint Committee EU-Mauritania

(21/02/2013) The EU-Mauritania Joint Committee, under the current EU-Mauritania Fisheries Partnership Protocol, took place on 19-20 February in Paris.

Both parties agreed to convene rapidly a Joint Scientific Committee with the aim of updating the status of all fish stocks, including cephalopods, as well as examining other technical measures for various fisheries. Technical conditions have been improved with the aim of making the Protocol more economically viable, including the increase of by-catch for the shrimps category and the extension of the southern pelagic zone. Moreover, a number of clarifications were introduced and agreed upon on various issues, aiming to ensure more efficient fishing operations.

The Commission welcomes the fact that good progress has been made without deviating from the main principles of the Protocol, such as sustainability and the respect of scientific advice. This outcome will definitely have a positive impact on the future implementation of the Protocol.